Education in Ireland Essay

In this essay I will argue that the Church, above all else, was to have the most profound effect on schooling in Ireland from 1922 to 1965. Firstly, it is necessary to look at the beliefs of this period that allowed the church to inform schooling. Secondly, we will look at what informed schooling in each decade. Finally, we will conclude on our findings. 1. Social, Cultural, Political backgrounds 1922-1965 In the 19th century the Catholic laity provided an all encompassing definition of reality with religion dictating the curriculum of national schools (Fuller, 2002, 2005). In 1922 the new nation emerged with this identity and an emphasis of reviving the Irish language. The emergent hegemony was Catholic and it was their social, cultural and political beliefs and hence their identity that was to prevail (O’Mahoney and Delanty, 2001). In the 1920s and 1930s Cosgrave and De Valera ensured that the Catholic moral code was upheld by legislation and cultural nationalism (Fuller 2002). Archbishop McQuaid was involved in the new constitution in 1937 which replaced the 1922 constitution. Articles 41-44 were particularly Catholic. Article 42 provided a summary of Catholic teaching on education. All sorts of forces were at work to make Ireland a more totally committed Catholic state. Mr Justice Gavin Duffy throughout the 1940s invoked new legal precedents favourable to Catholic viewpoint. In 1948 John A. Costello sent the following message to Pope Pius XII: ‘to strive for the attainment of social order in Ireland based on Christian principles’. During the 1950s Archbishop McQuaid saw the Taoiseach off at the airport as he went away to public engagements. Our devotion could be seen in packed churches and ceremonies giving the world view of Catholic Ireland in the decades following independence (Fuller, 2002). 2. Social, Cultural, Political beliefs that informed Schooling 1922-1965 By 1922 the church knew that control over education was a vital means of transmitting Catholic cultural heritage, politicians were very careful not to trespass on what the church regarded as its domain. Eoin Mac Neill, first minister of education declared that he ‘deplored statism’ in education (Fuller, 2002). This meant that children got the education the ‘Catholic Church thought that they should get’ in a church-owned but state-financed education system (Garvin, 2004). In 1924, the number of pupils in secondary schools was a mere 5% of those enrolled in primary school and by 1960 this figure had only increased to 16% (O’Donoghue, 1998). Patrick Gilligan, Minister for Industry and Commerce, in the mid-1920s stated Ireland should be ruled by level headed men, loyal to their religion and free from intellectual daftness’ (Garvin). In 1924 the Intermediate and the Leaving Certificate were introduced. The Certificates curriculum emphasised the Gaelic development of pupils. History and geography were now also to be taught with an Irish orientation and were to be compulsory. Teaching of history in particular was to be crucial to the shaping of identity ‘nationalist fervour’ (Foster in Brady 1994). In 1926 Irish became obligatory for secondary teachers and all children were compelled to attend school between the ages of 6-14. During the subsequent two years Irish became an obligatory subject for funded schools and obligatory for the Intermediate certificate. In the late 1920s and 1930s the clergy strongly expressed the fear that Irish would threaten the place of Latin and English in the curriculum both essential for future clerics and missionaries. The curriculum changes over the next thirty years to uphold the status of Latin and English (O’Donoghue, 1998). The secondary curriculum was saturated with a religious ethos. The church’s system of training its teachers was also to ensure the development of teachers who did not promote any questioning of the Church’s teachings i. e. conformity. This philosophy had implications not just for education but for all aspects of Irish Catholic culture. In 1930 Fianna Fail did take an initiative in education by introducing the Vocational Educational Act but the hierarchy was consulted. The vocational sector saw remarkable growth in the first decade which resulted in concern among the bishops (O Buachalla). The church did not approve of these schools over which they had no control (Garvin). Nor did the state agree (Thomas Derrig minister for education (1932-1948) or De Valera); in the present economic climate of emigration, inflation, teacher salary cuts and a ban on married female staff (Garvin). In 1950 Fine Gael Richard Mulcahy launched the new Council for Education in order to review and critique the primary and secondary school curricula declaring that the ‘foundation of youth’s entire training was religion and patriotism’. The council’s first report (1952) was on the primary system and it recommended formal recognition of the almost entirely denominational nature of the system. A triumph in the churches’ prolonged battle against secular education. As it transpired the report signalled the end of an era and had no formative influence on impending educational developments. Throughout the 1950s Fianna Fail Sean Moylan (minister for education and former vocational school teacher), pressure groups, critical catholic thinkers such as Professor Peter Connelly and educationalists began lobbying for educational change. Politicians such as Lemass, O’Malley, Charles Haughey, and Patrick Hillery were less concerned with abstract issues such as identity and more concerned with the future. By 1959 Taoiseach Sean Lemass did not allow the hierarchy to influence the outcome of the Intoxicating Liquor Bill. It was the first time since the foundation of the state that the government had defied the wishes of the church. Civil servants under Lemass such as Patrick Lynch and TK Whitaker were writing papers on new patterns of economic thinking. The Programme for Economic Expansion (1958) outlined a change in economic thinking whereby economic imperatives were to guide political thinking. This was to send ripples through Irish society. The report emphasised the crucial role that vocational education in particular could play in gearing the technological needs of an industrialising economy. In 1963 Dr Patrick Hillery (following OECD study into Irish education 1962-1965) stated that economic needs were calling for a review of the post-primary sector. He stated that investment in education, particularly technical education (RTC’s) was the key to bringing about economic progress and equality of educational opportunity. His objective was to bring the vocational sector to a parity of standard with the secondary system. The minister introduced the comprehensive school which would provide both technical and academic educations. The students at vocational schools would be entitled to sit Intermediate and Leaving Certificate exams. The OECD and department of educations’ report were published in 1965: An Investment in Education. Dr Hillery stated that the report would provide the state with the basis for ‘the direction of our long-term educational requirements’ (Fuller, 2002). 3. Conclusions Education policy in independent Ireland 1922-1957 appeared to have the following issues: denominational, uncritical belief that church was the holder of knowledge, language ideology, limited access to parents or finance, pressing factors of unemployment, emigration and inflation but correlation between education system and economy not initially recognised. There was still an absence of a philosophy regarding the purpose and nature of education. The contrast between the recommendations of the Council of Education report of 1952 and the Investment in Education report of 1965 is representative of the change in social, cultural and political beliefs that had began to emerge in the 1960s. The religious imperatives had been central to the Council of Education’s definition of worthwhile curricular knowledge. A department of education policy was now based on the Investment in Education beliefs that curricular emphasis should be aligned with the needs of our economy.

Parenting skill Essay

1.How can parents avoid temper tantrums? It having a plan to calm your self down every time you have for example by going to your happy place,relax,and by staying calm at all time 2.What are the A, B, Cs? -A is for the attributes you want your child to have ⠁Æ'B is for the behavior you want to go along with those attributes. ⠁Æ'C is for the consequence that will be given, positive or negative 3. Do you think using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior? Why or why not? Yes, I think using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior because it gives the child a set of expectations you want from them and because naturally humans are born to please they are going to try their hardest to live by those expectations you have provided them. 1.What are some of the reasons why people may not talk to babies as much today as they used to? We don’t really know the exact reason why people are not talking to their babies as much some may say it is due to the busy life style we have or that everyone is isolated within the house 2. Why do you think developing language skills is important for a child? Developing language skills as a child is important because when children are younger it is easier for them to learn and develop and they should learn to be good communicators 3.What are some of the ways that parents can encourage the development of language skills? One way parents can help encourage development of language skills is by giving them their undivided attention and contently talking to them because most of their learning is through imitation.

Tools, stucture & sing in Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tools, stucture & sing in Design - Assignment Example l and the design, a designer must use the tool sparingly often selecting specific features of the tool and utilizing them in a manner that enhances the underlying message in the design (Gomez-Palacio & Vit, 2012). Such design principles as unity and variety place a designer in a precarious situation where he must select various elements such as color but manage to harmonize the variety in the final work to create a united piece. Structure in design on the other hand refers to a fundamental relationship of entities. The entities in this context refer to the different design elements such as color, line, shape, form and space among others. The placement of the design elements in order to create a concrete image that communicates effectively. The image below in this context is an example of a design structure. The image shows a concrete yet complementary arrangement of the design elements in a manner that enhances the appropriateness of each of the design elements. Unity is a principle of design that influences the structure of designs. Designers must for example unify the various elements of design in order to come up with a single image, one in which it becomes difficult to recognize the independent elements. Gestalt principles and Maslows hierarchy are two fundamental psychological concepts that influence the consumption of products of graphic design. Gestalt principles principle explains that people often see the whole instead of the single elements in design. This validates the need for designers to comply with the dictates of such principles as unity and balance. In design, sign refers to an image that represents the existence of another thing, event or an organization. The image below is a perfect example of a sign. As indicated in the definition, a sign must communicate values of the thing it represents. As such, designers must always observe the various theories and principles of design in order to develop an effective sign. Just as any other product of

Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Reaction Paper - Essay Example The more probable clarification, then again, is that against Macedonian assumption was on the ascent in Athens, causing Aristotle to be afraid of being abused for his relationship with King Philips court (Sparknotes.com). Old Greece comprised of various free city-states, of which Athens was the most critical. In spite of the fact that the city-states depended on slave work and the disenfranchisement of ladies, the male residents made one of the most punctual manifestations of majority rules system, and in the compass of under two hundred years they figured out how to create what the Western world still looks to as the premise of its political foundations, mathematics, philosophy, art, architecture and drama. Since slaves and noncitizen specialists performed the main part of the citys work, male nationals delighted in a lot of recreation time. This recreation gave the chance to open investigation into the way of the world, and educators like Aristotle were not exceptional. As a follower and pupil of Plato, his approach was Platonism – which switched to empiricism after Plato’s death. He said that we have information by being influenced by what he called the sensible type of things. For Aristotle this implied that our spirit accepts formal parts of these things itself. Some comprehended this as implying that when you take a gander at a green field, your spirit actually turns green. Others believed that it implies there is simply some correspondence between your spirit and the object, and that your soul does not really come to look like it. Aristotle is observed also as functionalist, pragmatist and a realist. He is referred also to the Vitalism approach. Aristotles fundamental perspective of human nature is gotten from the guideline of "hylomorphism": the body is united with the soul and the spirit is the form of the body

How relevant is Machiavelli's Prince for today's political leaders Essay

How relevant is Machiavelli's Prince for today's political leaders - Essay Example The book can be used as a manual for the politicians who yearn to win and stay in power as in his literature, Machiavelli guides a prince on the manner to act towards his enemies and applying both force and fraud in the course of war2. Regardless of the perceptions people have concerning politics, the book goes straight to the reality of how things work in what Machiavelli considers as effectual truth. It demonstrates that allies who exist in politics at home and across boarders are never really friends. Among the principles that are championed by Machiavelli is that leaders are always supposed to cover up their real intentions, make sure they cannot be predicted, and regularly act in a manner that is against mercy, faith, humanity and religion, so that they may be able to preserve the state, making ,Machiavelli’s name synonymous with the tyrants who are cunning. When the dismal perception of Machiavelli in regard to humanity is understood, it becomes easy to appreciate the ethical universe that he operates in as he begins his discussion that touches of virtues that a prince should have by discarding them immediately. According to him, virtues do not have utility and are simply products of a person’s imagination. In Machiavelli’s terms, truth is a factor of the effect or outcome associated with a specific action from the dictator’s perspective but not any intrinsic or rigid standard of value and obvious liberty or freedom is not among them. This creates the definition of the term effectual truth and Machiavelli defines himself as a relativist who adjusts to the situation why favoring dictatorship. This is the same kind of discourse that has been associated with the liberals as well as democrats; it has also been seen and heard in the self-proclaimed conservatives as well as the republicans. The introduction of a new approach in relation to the traditional political science by

Peer Polity Interaction and Socio-Political Change Essay

Peer Polity Interaction and Socio-Political Change - Essay Example This mainly related to the Barbarian tribes and, to some extent, other empires. The interactions were mainly given as the cause for the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the first period of happenings that were considered to be the Dark Age. There is an overall perspective in our society that reflects the way of life. Politics, which include the method through which a given group of people are governed, is diverse and varies from one society to the other. Soci-political changes therefore reflect the general changes in the ways of life. Such changes are normally associated with certain aspects of doing things and the historical perspectives that shape our ways of life (Cioffi-Revilla 2005). It is normally crucial for people to revisit some paradigms that underline the collective thinking and action that various leadership styles reflect in our society. During periods of crisis certain methodologies are employed to solve the problems that exist. The need to revisit some of the paradigms that underlie collective action and thinking always occur. A large body of theoretical and empirical research has attempted to confirm that societies strive politically and economically whenever they are able to build strong non-state actors that foster community organizations. Every society has the potential to contribute in various ways to the common good of humanity. According to Burger (681-604), there is the possibility of the existence of the production of negative social capital by individuals who do not cooperate in doing what is commonly good for the entire society. Any attempt to analyze politics in antiquity normally presents various new opportunities for both political and international relations. Governance is done through institutions of leadership that are put up to ensure that services reach the target subjects and efficient leadership is practiced. The term polity is normally

Goal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goal Statement - Essay Example Growing up in this situation opened my eyes to the fact that my town, my country, my neighbors, needed help. My sense of responsibility for my fellowman became my inspiration in school. I knew that if I wanted to help my community, I would need to have a job in the future that would allow me to enact changes that would benefit those whom I love. It was this goal in particular that became the driving force of my educational career. I consider myself lucky to have been able to successfully complete my grammar and higher education in record time. My decent grades and academic accomplishments allowed me to apply for and gain entry into Makerere University in Uganda as a student of Urban Planning. The reason that I enrolled in Urban Planning as a college major was really quite simple. Since I knew that the town I came from had a problem in terms of population control that led to the lack of facilities and financial budget with which to improve the lot of our community, somebody needed to develop a plan that would directly address the problems of the community and hopefully, remedy the situation. I worked as an Urban Planning Engineer for a number of years after my graduation. At the time I felt that I was doing a tremendous amount of good for my fellow Ugandans because I was able to help better plan communities, facilities, and projects that directly affected their daily lives and the lives of future generations. I took great pride in seeing my suggestions and recommendations coming to life as it was adapted by local city governments and the like. There was extreme degree of personal satisfaction that I managed to glean from this particular job. I knew I was doing well and I was able to improve the lives of my fellowman but, as I slowly walked the various towns and cities of Uganda, all of whom I was tasked to create various urban development projects for, I came to realize that urban planning was not all that I thought it could be. It had its limitations when it ca me to proper care of communities. Although I was able to help improve lives by building roads and structures that helped modernize the areas and bring in much needed jobs. There was still a lot of work to be done. Mostly because the modernization projects that I was involved in did not help improve the health of other Ugandans. Rather, the developments made their health worse as they became exposed to various elements and air borne viruses that came to fore during the construction period of various projects. That was when I knew that I had to change careers. I needed to help Ugandans where they needed it the most, in the field of medical healthcare. But where would I begin? Coming from a family of healthcare professionals, they reminded me of my childhood dream that got derailed when I developed an interest in engineering and urban planning. It took very little to remind me that I originally wanted to become a medical professional because of the influence of my other relatives who a ll worked in the medical field in various positions. I have relatives who are doctors and nurses. I had the grades for medical school, I just needed to decide upon which particular medical field I wanted to become involved in. The decision to center my second career in the nursing field was something that came to me almost automatically. Although I could have